Kazakhstan announced its commitment to invest in Afghanistan’s strategic Turghundi-Herat railway project during the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan. The summit, attended by heads of state and government from the ten ECO member countries, highlighted collective efforts towards greater regional economic integration, sustainable development, digital transformation, and infrastructure growth.
Representing Kazakhstan at the summit, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov delivered a significant address emphasizing the country’s leadership in enhancing regional connectivity and infrastructure development. In particular, he underscored the importance of the Turghundi-Herat railway initiative, pledging Kazakhstan’s readiness to invest in this major transportation corridor. The rail project promises considerable potential in improving trade routes, facilitating logistics, and promoting closer economic integration between Central and South Asia.
The development of the Turghundi-Herat railway corridor aims to solidify Afghanistan’s position as a critical regional transit hub, allowing landlocked Central Asian states more efficient access to South Asian markets. Prime Minister Bektenov highlighted the strategic importance of this infrastructure initiative, describing it as a vital foundation for regional stability, diversified economic growth, and long-term prosperity.
Beyond infrastructure, the summit served as a key platform for member states to align their strategies on economic and geopolitical issues, including trade facilitation, energy cooperation, disaster preparedness, and resilience building. ECO member nations also reaffirmed their joint commitment to digital innovation, ecological transition, and infrastructural connectivity in line with the ECO Vision 2025 roadmap.
Kazakhstan’s proactive initiative in supporting Afghanistan’s reconstruction and advancing transit connections underscores the country’s larger strategic ambition to position itself as a central node for Eurasian connectivity and sustainable economic development.
